The Nightmare Reopened
by Breezybabe91
Summary: When Celina becomes Mort's new maid, Shooter comes back, and this time, to life! Full summary inside please read and review! Thanks! COMPLETED!
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Celina has been out of a job for several months, and hasn't had a good one for several years; so when she hears Mort Rainey needs a maid, she decides to take the chance of being murdered for some money she desperately needs. But, unfortunately, John Shooter doesn't like her, and even worse he's become real.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Mort Rainey (that would be nice), but, however, I do own Celina.  
  
Authors note: This is my first Secret Window fanfic and I couldn't think of a better plot, but I'll make it better further into the story, so, enjoy! (Also, this is NOT a mary sue).  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Celina Woods woke up in the old motel room in Tashmore Lake at about 7:30am. She was very scared about taking this job. She may not live in Tashmore Lake, in fact she hadn't had a home in years (she was a drifter), and she had only been in the small town for one day, but she already heard all she needed to know about Morton Rainey. Everyone said he acted normal, too normal for someone whose wife had died, and before, he had been totally stressed, so that meant...  
  
"Shut-up," She told herself, as she stripped her clothes, and hopped into the tiny shower stall, "you shouldn't talk about your new employer like that, or you'll have doubts." And she didn't want to do that because this was the first job opportunity in months and she didn't want to screw it up. She turned the water on as hot as it would go and soaked herself in it. She liked not living anywhere. She had no family to worry about, no house; just her old Toyota, some clothes, and whatever money was in her pocket. "Which isn't very much." She said aloud. That's why she needed this job so bad. That was the only problem with her system: finding a job. She didn't have a college education, and when she'd saved enough money, she usually just quit, and that didn't look good on her résumé. But then again there's the thrill of going no where in particular. She continued to let her mind wander as she stepped out of the shower and put on a dark red roxy t-shirt underneath a blue fox racing sweater, and pale blue jeans. She got her things, paid the manager, and got in her car.  
  
Her first stop was to Bowie's. It was the local drugstore and diner. When she entered the few people who were already in there turned their heads to see who the intruder was. She smiled shyly at them and sat down at the counter. The tall broad woman behind the counter filled her cup with coffee. She sipped it and was momentarily surprised and pleased at how strong it was. "Umm, excuse me ma'am?" Celina said as quietly as she could, but just about everyone else looked anyway. What rubberneckers, She thought.  
  
"Mmm?" the woman replied.  
  
"I was just wondering," she looked sharply at the other people staring, and they looked away, "where exactly does Morton Rainey live? I'm his new maid." At this, everyone in the store looked at her despite her warning.  
  
"Well, honey," Celina could tell the woman was uncomfortable, "he lives north of the town, and there's only one road, and one driveway, so you can't miss it."  
  
"Thanks." Celina said and quickly left to escape the stares.  
  
When she arrived at Morton Rainey's house, she walked up to the large wooden door, suddenly nervous. I can still just turn around and get in my car and walk away from all this. No, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door.  
  
At first she heard nothing, but ten there was the sound of someone shuffling down the stairs, and he opened the door. "Can I help you?" He asked politely.  
  
Celina didn't answer at first; she was thrown off by how he looked. He was wearing a t-shirt underneath a button up over shirt, and loose jeans. He had dark brown eyes behind glasses that were framed by chin length dark hair that was highlighted blonde. Her conclusion: he was very attractive.  
  
"Oh, I'm Celina Woods," she said, snapping out of her thoughts, "we spoke on the phone a couple days ago?"  
  
"Oh yes, you're my new maid, then? Come in."  
  
Mort's p.o.v  
  
Mort had been right in the middle of the turning point of his new novel when someone knocked on the door. He looked up from his laptop and sighed, the past month had been going great, Shooter was gone, he was writing a new novel, and he didn't remember what had happened to Amy. He jogged down the stairs and opened the door to find a young girl in her twenties with light, shoulder length hair, chocolaty brown hair and bright, sapphire eyes in his doorway. "Can I help you?" he said.  
  
The girl seemed distracted when she said, "Oh, I'm Celina Woods; we spoke on the phone a couple days ago?"  
  
"Oh yes, you're my new maid, then? Come in." when she walked in, he closed the door behind her and said, "I'm Mort," he smiled and shook her hand, "I'll give you a tour of the place."  
  
What did you think? I hope you want me to write more, cuz I kinda had the plot already, and it gets way more interesting, don't worry, just review please! Thanks! ;-) 


	2. Chapter 2

I FINALLY got this chapter out, and don't worry, the next one won't take as long! Oh, and thanks sooooo much for the encouragement, guys!  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Celina glanced around the house; it was well kept, just a few things were scattered around. He took her to through the living room, and into the kitchen. All the while explaining the small tasks that he expected of her; which wasn't much. 'Funny, she thought, he doesn't seem like the murdering type.' He led her behind the stairs into a small hallway with one bedroom with a bathroom, "This is where you'll be staying, Celina." He said, "And upstairs is just my office and bedroom."  
  
"Call me Cel," she smiled, "and I'll start tomorrow."  
  
He smiled, "Then you can call me Mort, and I'll be upstairs if you need me."  
  
Celina smiled as he left and put her suitcase on the bed, and couldn't help but notice that he had a nice smile.  
  
The next day Celina got up and took a long shower and got started. She began in the living room where there were papers, and books on the floor. She picked them up in no time and decided to dust. When she was finished with that, she decided to make something for lunch on account she'd skipped breakfast, "Mort!" she called to Mort who hadn't come down all morning because he was writing, "Do you want some lunch?"  
  
"Sure." Was his answer.  
  
She made sandwiches for Mort and herself, and brought him a plate upstairs.  
  
He was typing at his laptop when she first saw him, but he stopped when she came in and smiled.  
  
"Here ya go." She said as she set the plate down beside him.  
  
He grinned and said, "So, do you like the job so far?"  
  
"Oh, it's horrible." She said sarcastically.  
  
"Is that so? Well, I suppose I could fire you." He said with a mischievous smile taking over his face.  
  
"That won't be necessary," she said, "What are you working on?"  
  
"Oh, just my new novel, I hope it will be as good as my remake of 'Secret Window'." He replied.  
  
"Well I better get back to work. She said, suddenly nervous and blushing for no particular reason.  
  
"Alright." He said and winked at her as she hurried down the stairs.  
  
Mort's P.O.V  
  
At about 7pm Mort realized that he had been writing all day when Cel called him downstairs and said dinner was ready.  
  
He smiled at her as he entered the kitchen and smelled the rich scent of spaghetti sauce, and sat down at the table across from her and began dishing his plate. He noticed that she seemed nervous, so he tried to make conversation with her.  
  
"So, where are you from? He asked.  
  
"I grew up in New York, and after school I've just been traveling everywhere I can." She said.  
  
"Do you enjoy doing that?" H asked, enjoying talking to her.  
  
"Ya, I do it's a lot of fun." She said and smiled.  
  
He couldn't help but notice how she seemed to glow when she smiled, "Well that's good." He said.  
  
After dinner, Mort went back upstairs, and Cel started to wash the dishes.  
  
When Mort sat back down at his desk he felt something he hadn't felt in over a month. He could have sworn he felt Shooter's presence.  
  
"But that's silly, Mort," he whispered to himself, nervously, "Shooter's gone."  
  
'Are you sure?' The other Mort in head asked, amused.  
  
I'm REALLY sorry this chapter was soooo short, but that's all I could think of right now, but the next one will be longer, I promise, and more interesting, okay? But please review anyway! Thanks! 


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, my fellow...peoples! *sigh* I got nothing to say; aren't I sad? *sighs again* Johnny Depp is a sexy god!!!!! *closes eyes dreamily*  
  
Chapter 3  
  
It was the middle of January, and the past few months had gone by without her even realizing it. This was the longest she'd ever had a job, and she couldn't figure out why.  
  
'Maybe it's because of the fact that every time he smiles at you, you get all hot.' She thought to herself. She smiled and sighed. She knew the reason was because she liked him, but she couldn't make a move on him. 'And besides, you don't even know if he likes you, likes you like you like him, like him.'  
  
She rolled her eyes in frustration, and looked out the window. It was snowing. "Oooo, it's beautiful." She had never liked rain, but she loved snow. She put down the dish she was drying, grabbed her sweater and walked outside. She looked up at the gray sky, and felt completely relaxed, until she felt a snowball pierce her back. She turned around to see Mort smile at her, and shrug his shoulders, "I didn't do it." He said innocently.  
  
She scooped up a handful of snow and threw it at Mort's shoulder, "Bulls eye!" she yelled and took off running for the woods, laughing.  
  
She heard him chasing after her, and ducked behind a large tree. The woods fell eerily silent. She peeked out from behind her fortress, but saw nothing. But she was snapped out of her thoughts as she felt an impact from behind and fell to the ground. She tried to get up but realized Mort had pinned her to the ground, with his hands holding her arms above her head.  
  
She let out a yelp of surprise, "Now you're in for it!" Mort said as he began to tickle her neck and sides. After a minute of laughing, screaming, and pleading, Mort rolled off her and sat down beside her. Before she could say anything, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. She could feel herself blush, and get all hot again. He seemed embarrassed when he got up and went back in the house. She smiled when he left and wished she wasn't so shy.  
  
Mort's P.O.V  
  
When Mort got back n the house, he went back upstairs to his office and sat down. He wasn't entirely sure why he'd done that, it had just been how he felt at the moment, 'Or do you feel that way all the time?' he asked himself. He sighed, he knew he liked her.  
  
When she got back in the house, he waited until she was done in the kitchen and went in her room, and followed her. He knocked softly on her door she said, "Come in."  
  
"Hi, Cel," he said stuttering, "I was wondering if maybe you would like to get out of the house, and maybe, uh, have dinner or something?"  
  
She thought for a moment, and then replied, "Sure."  
  
"Alright, how about tomorrow?"  
  
"Great!" She said.  
  
Celina's P.O.V  
  
When Mort left her room she squeaked with happiness, "Finally," she whispered, "finally." She squeaked again, "Oh my God, what do I wear, what will we talk about." She asked herself worriedly. She rolled her eyes, 'What are you? Seventeen?' she thought.  
  
Mort's P.O.V  
  
After he left Cel's room, he was very relieved, and he went back up to his office and sat down at his desk. He sat there for a long time without thinking, just staring at his laptop screen. Then the phone next to his laptop rang. He jumped and looked at the clock, it was nine pm. He had been sitting there for over an hour.  
  
He picked up the phone, "Hello?" he asked.  
  
"Well, hello, Mr. Rainey." A familiar drawling voice said that caused many memories to come flooding back all at once.  
  
He didn't answer at first, just sat there, stunned, "Shooter?" he asked his voice shaky at first, "What do you want?" his voice was now thick and syrupy with disgust and anger.  
  
"Oh, I just wanted to see how you were doing. And that miss Celina." His southern accent never ceased to annoy Mort.  
  
"What do you want?" He repeated, nervous at the mention of Celina.  
  
"You know you shouldn't get cozy with her," He said, cutting to the chase suddenly, "she's a heart-breaker, just like Amy."  
  
"Listen, I fixed your stupid story, so leave me alone." He said, angrily.  
  
"Why, I know that, I'm just lookin' out for you, Mr. Rainey." Mort could almost see his crooked smile.  
  
"Leave me alone." He repeated, unable to think of anything else.  
  
"We'll see about that. I'll talk to you after your date tomorrow." He said and hung up.  
  
Mort shakily put the phone down and went to bed, afraid of what might happen while he was asleep.  
  
So, did you like it? Please tell me and I'll get the next chapter out as soon as possible! Thanks! 


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for all the great reviews guys! Well, here's the next chapter!  
  
Chapter 4  
  
When Mort woke up late in the morning the next day he didn't remember a thing about Shooter and the call last night. He glanced at his wristwatch; it was ten-thirty in the morning. He slowly rolled out of bed, and crawled in the shower. When he stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen, he was greeted by a lively Celina.  
  
"Sit down, I just got breakfast." She said and offered him a big smile. When he sat down, he froze; all the memory of last night's phone call came back. She walked over to him with two plates, "What's the matter?" she asked setting his plate in front of him.  
  
"Oh, uh, nothing." He said and smiled at her.  
  
She raised an eyebrow, and shrugged.  
  
They were pretty silent most of the meal, and when Mort was done, he muttered thanks, and went back upstairs and sat at his desk. He was deep in thought. He wondered what Shooter would want with Celina, and why was it any of his business anyway. He sighed in frustration, and decided to work on his new version of 'Secret Window' until dinner.  
  
Celina's P.O.V  
  
When Mort went upstairs after breakfast, she noticed he seemed stressed, "He must be nervous about tonight." She said to herself. She decided to do some cleaning before she would start to get ready. She strode into the living room, and peeked upstairs to see Mort at his desk staring at the computer, playing with a slinky. She grinned and just by the sight of him, her heart began to beat faster. When she started to dust, and pick up the many things strewn across the floor, she realized for the first time that lots of people would be staring at them. It was a small town and everybody knew everybody's business, and when she was in the drugstore people were looking at her and they didn't even know her! Just think of how curious they would be of Mort, who supposedly killed four people.  
  
'Oh well, I don't care what they think." She said quietly to herself while she dusted off one of the bookshelves. She looked through the books as she dusted, and saw several that she would find interesting. She looked at the clock, it was almost 3pm. She could probably stop cleaning and read until she would have to wash-up to go out to dinner.  
  
She scanned through the books before deciding on a rather scary sounding one and plopped down on the couch, and took a better look at the title, 'Secret Window', and began to read.  
  
Mort's P.O.V  
  
Mort sat at his desk and tossed the slinky back and forth in his hands. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Celina spying on him, and he smiled, but he doubted se saw him. He decided that he'd better finish the story and leaned over his computer and began to type. He typed without knowing what he was writing; his mind was elsewhere.  
  
'You know what he wants.' The other Mort in his head told him, 'He wants to kill her and make you miserable. You have to make her go away before it's too late.'  
  
'No, I won't give up my life because of Shooter, damnit.' He hissed back to himself.  
  
'Alright, but remember what happened when you didn't listen to me last time.' The other Mort replied calmly.  
  
'Shut-up.'  
  
The other Mort didn't' say anything, and Mort was pleased. He took out a cigarette and lit it and took a long drag on it. He was instantly relaxed. He stopped typing and decided to read over it and then he'd get ready for dinner.  
  
Celina's P.O.V  
  
Celina reached the end of chapter 4 and looked at the clock, it was almost 5pm. And they had decided to leave a little before 6pm, so she rolled off the couch and got in the shower. She reapplied her makeup and when it came time to get dressed, she realized that she had no idea where they were going, so she put on black jeans, a black long sleeved shirt with a plunging neckline; and black high heeled boots; she'd have a lot of black, but she'd be ready for anything.  
  
When she was completely ready, she decided to see how Mort was doing.  
  
Mort's P.O.V  
  
Once it was past 5pm, he decided to get ready, but first he would tell Celina to do the same. At the thought of her his stomach did a flip-flop. And he blushed in spite of himself, and made his way to Celina's room. He peeked inside and heard the shower on in the bathroom to the left, so he quietly shut the door and thought he should do the same.  
  
He stood soaking in the shower for long time thinking about Shooter and Celina. He didn't want to have a sheltered life because of Shooter, he would rather fight him, but on the other hand, he didn't want to hurt Celina in the process. He came to the conclusion that he shouldn't think about it anymore tonight as he stepped out of the shower and into his bedroom. He opened his closet and realized he had no idea where he was taking Celina. He supposed it would be somewhere not too fancy, so he put on a black long sleeved button up shirt (with a collar), and dark blue jeans with sneakers.  
  
Before he left, he took a look in his mirror, and ran a brush through his hair that was in need of a dye-job, and walked down the stairs to Celina's room.  
  
Hey everybody! See how the date goes in the next chapter, so please review! 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Okay, once again thanks for the reviews! I hope you like this chapter!  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Celina shut her bedroom door and turned to see Mort coming down the stairs.  
  
"You look great." He said, and smiled.  
  
She could feel her heart skip a beat at the sound of his voice and said sheepishly, "You don't look too bad yourself." and returned the smile.  
  
They walked outside through the melting snow, and decided to take Mort's car. She slid in the passenger seat, and Mort in the driver's, and they drove into town in silence.  
  
When they reached the small city Mort said, "I was thinking we could go to the Red Lion restaurant."  
  
"That sounds great." She said, unable to take her eyes off Mort.  
  
They drove to the fancy restaurant and got a seat in the back of building. Celina couldn't help but notice that everybody, including the hostess who seated them, all turned their heads to get a good look at Mort. She couldn't help but blush, and give out mean looks to everyone she could. Many people in town who new her, thought she was crazy to live with him, so she often attracted a certain amount of attention, but she'd never been out with Mort. Mort didn't seem to notice how many heads turned at the sight of him.  
  
When they had given the waitress their orders, and were allowed some private time, Celina was curious to know his side of the situation because they hadn't ever really brought it up during the month and a half she'd been working with him.  
  
"Um, Mort, I hate to bring it up but why is everyone looking at us?" She asked in a small voice.  
  
He looked up at her, and said, not in the least bit embarrassed, "Oh, well, I haven't been out a lot since my ex, and her boyfriend died."  
  
"Oh, okay," She said, quickly wanting to change the subject, "I was reading one of your books earlier."  
  
"Really," his face brightening, "what did you think?"  
  
"It is very dark and mysteries so far, but I really like it. It's very different." She said. His eyes looked deep into hers and seemed to caress her soul. But that feeling was shattered for a split second when something completely different flashed through his eyes. Celina couldn't explain it to herself afterwards. It had seemed like she had seen someone else and that someone else wasn't like Mort's kind nature at all. But it only lasted a second so she quickly put it aside.  
  
Mort's P.O.V  
  
Mort had been momentarily nervous when Celina had asked about why the people were staring, but he thought he'd done a good job at making up an excuse and she didn't mention it again. As the conversation slowly drifted to what she thought of 'Secret Window', Mort wasn't sure if Celina had seen it or not, but he'd felt something he hadn't felt in a long time, Shooter. He was sure of it. He'd actually felt Shooter trying to get out again. Or maybe he was just trying to warn Mort.  
  
The rest of the date went smoothly. They managed to make small talk without any really awkward moments, and when they got back to Mort's cabin it was about 8:30pm.  
  
He walked Celina to her bedroom, and they said their awkward, teenage-like goodnights. Mort looked into her eyes, and leaned in, Celina doing the same. Mort could feel her warm breath on his face as he reached out and placed his hand on her cheek. No sooner had his lips brushed up against hers, their body temperature rising, when, all of a sudden,  
  
RIING RING  
  
Mort and Celina quickly pulled apart from each other, and Celina stumbled back into her bedroom, and Mort turned around, and jogged upstairs to his desk. He had a pretty good idea of who it would be as he picked up the phone.  
  
"What, Shooter?" He asked.  
  
"Shooter?" It was the sheriff, "Listen, I need you to come by the police station again tomorrow around noon for a few more questions about your wife."  
  
Mort was momentarily surprised, but quickly said, "Uh, ya, okay."  
  
The sheriff, who obviously wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible said, "Okay, noon tomorrow. Good evening, Mr. Rainey." And hung up.  
  
Mort was relieved it hadn't been Shooter, but that feeling disappeared as soon as he put the phone back on its cradle. It rang again.  
  
Mort slowly lifted the phone to his ear just in time to hear Shooter say, "Good evenin' Mr. Rainey." Once again Mort despised the drawling, heavily accented voice of the man.  
  
"What do you want?" Mort hissed.  
  
"Oh, I think you know what I want. I want you to stay away from that lil' miss Celina." Answered Shooter. And Mort couldn't help but notice that Shooter talked like he was speaking to a small child.  
  
"You stay away from me and Celina." He spat.  
  
"Wish I could." Shooter said, dreamily, and hung up.  
  
Mort placed the phone down, carefully, his hands shaking, and went to bed.  
  
The next morning Mort woke up late. He had only half an hour to get to the police station. He threw on some clothes and raced down the stairs to where Celina was cleaning the living room.  
  
"It's about time you got up," she said, "You missed breakfast. What's your hurry?"  
  
"Gotta go somewhere in town. I'll be back for a late lunch!" He yelled over his shoulder as he sprinted out to his car.  
  
"Okay, then." She said to herself and smiled. He was so cute when he was worried or something.  
  
She continued to clean for about twenty minutes after Mort left, when she was interrupted by a loud knock at the door. She walked slowly over to the door. Mort never had visitors. She opened the door and was greeted by a tall, skinny man, with a tanned, lined, and worn-out look to his face. She also noticed he wore a large black hat, like the kind Quakers wore; covering slicked down, black hair.  
  
"Can I help you?" She asked pasting a fake smile on her face. She had to look up at him because he easily towered over her 5ft 4in figure.  
  
Author's note: Sorry for ending it here, but I wanted to keep the excitement and suspension alive, ya know? But for those of you who don't like suspension, I'll get the next chapter out as soon as possible. So, as always, REVIEW!! 


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: Thanks for the review, guys! I'm trying to get this chapter out as soon as possible, so I can't waste time!  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"Hello, ma'am," Celina instantly noticed he had a calm, very southern style voice, "the name's John Shooter." He held out hand, and Celina hesitated before taking it in hers and shaking it.  
  
"I assume you're Miss Woods?" He asked.  
  
Celina started to get nervous, "Yes, I am."  
  
He showed her a crooked grin as he said, "Good."  
  
She didn't like the sound of that, so she started to shut the door, but was cut off when he pushed it back inward at her in one swift movement. She was pushed backward into the couch and recovered from her shock just in time to whirl out of the way of when he tried to strike her with a pair of scissors he must have had behind his back. She let out a yelp of surprise and headed for the nearest escape, the stairs.  
  
She hadn't made it up two steps when she felt his hand clasp her shoulder and try and pull her back, "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" she managed to scream at him and she elbowed as hard as she could in the stomach. She felt him recoil from the pain and let go of her, and she took the chance to race the remaining steps up the stairs. It wasn't long before he recovered, though, because she could hear his footsteps pounding up the stairs trying to catch up to her. She did a sharp turn into Mort's bedroom and slammed the door. She quietly cursed as she realized there was no lock on the door, so she held as he started banging on it. Then, without warning, the pounding stopped. Celina hoped he couldn't hear her pounding heartbeat in the sudden silence. Without letting go of the door, she looked around the room for something, anything, to block the door. Spotting a chair next to the closet, she reached over and grabbed it, praying under her breath.  
  
She propped it underneath the knob and hoped it would work like it did in the movies. The knob slowly turned again, but the chair held it shut.  
  
"Yes." She whispered, and looked about the room for an escape. The patience of the man behind the door was running low as the consistency of the knock increased.  
  
"I'm 'bout done fussin' with you, girl!" He told her. Luckily, Celina spotted the window above Mort's bed. She could jump out the window.  
  
'It might be a nasty fall,' she thought, but hearing the man's threats made her even more desperate. She climbed up on the bed, and tried the window. It wouldn't budge. She looked for a lock. There wasn't one.  
  
"Shit." She said aloud, and she started hitting the window, and she started to cry without knowing.  
  
The man, Shooter, finally got through the door, and burst in. He smiled as he saw her useless attempts to break the window. When she realized she was in the room, she spun around and stared at him, wide eyed. She desperately looked around the room for an escape. Her gaze fell on the bathroom, and the sharp pieces of glass that lay about the mirror Mort neglected to fix. But Shooter's eyes followed hers and as if reading her mind, he stepped in front of the bed, across from her so in an instant, he could be in between her and the bathroom, or her and the door. She looked disappointed, and Shooter was pleased and decided to let her make the first move.  
  
Celina thought for a moment, and made a decision. She faked left, and Shooter fell for it, immediately trying to get in between her and the bathroom. But she jumped off the right side of the bed and sprinted out the bedroom door. He was just as fast as her, though. In an instant, he was after her. On her way down the stairs, she felt the scissors scrape across her midriff, and blood trickle down her side.  
  
Her breath quickened as she headed for the front door and yelped with triumph as she saw Mort pull up in the driveway. She ran down the porch and to his car. She heard a door slam and looked back. Shooter had gone out the back door, aware that Mort had come back.  
  
"What's wrong?" Mort asked confused at the look on Celina's face.  
  
"Th-there was a guy." She said, and she could feel the sweat mix with the blood and it stung, "He tried to kill me!" she started to become hysterical, but not caring.  
  
Mort was suddenly very alert, "Who, what did he look like? What happened?" he suddenly remembered Shooter. Before Celina had a chance to reply Mort helped her back into the house, and sat her back down on the couch, and went around the house, worried Shooter was still there, hiding.  
  
After locking all the doors and windows, Mort sat down next to Celina and tried to calm her down, placing a hand on her fevered cheek.  
  
"Okay, what happened?" Mort asked calmly.  
  
Celina took a deep breath, "There was this guy at the door," she paused, trying to remember, "he was really tall, he had, like, black hair and a big hat." She seemed to recoil at the memory.  
  
Mort knew it had been Shooter, but how had she seen him? "What happened?"  
  
"He chased me up the stairs, and tried to kill me with scissors, and then I ran back down the stairs, and you came so he left." She suddenly wondered why Shooter had left just because Mort had come home. He could have just killed them both.  
  
Mort decided to tell her the truth; "Celina, I've got to tell you something..." he told her everything, from the first encounter with Shooter, to when he realized Shooter only existed in his mind, and Shooter killed Amy.  
  
Through the whole story Celina sat staring at Mort, her mouth wide open. When he was done, she spoke, "Then if he only exists in your mind, how did I see him?" she was clearly freaked out.  
  
"I don't know." Mort said quietly.  
  
"And what does he want with me?" She asked.  
  
"He apparently thinks you aren't right for me, so considering how he tried to stab you with scissors, I'd say he wants to, well murder you." Mort said.  
  
"Well if we can't go to the police, what do we do?" she asked, looking into Mort's big brown eyes.  
  
"I'm not sure. I'll wait and talk to him next time he calls." Mort said thoughtfully.  
  
"What if he doesn't call?" She asked, doubtfully.  
  
"He will." He tried to reassure her.  
  
"I think I'll go into town tomorrow, to uh, get some groceries." She said getting up and going into her room. 'And I'll get something else while I'm in town, too.' She thought, as she slipped under the covers of her bed. She heard Mort go upstairs, and fell asleep to the rhythmic sounds of his typing overhead.  
  
A/N: Heya! So what did you think? Please let me know! If I don't get any reviews I'm not writing the next chapter! *smiles playfully* and the next chapter is GOOD. Celina buys a...and Shooter... If you want to know, review. Thanks! 


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: Thanks you guys for all the encouraging reviews! I hope you like this chapter too!  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Celina woke up earlier than usual the next morning from a bad dream about the man she'd seen yesterday. She got out of her bed and went entered the kitchen still in her pajamas. She made a quick breakfast, the whole time looking over her shoulder, half expecting to see Shooter. She ate as fast as she could and was finishing just as Mort came in and grabbed a plate.  
  
"You're up early." He commented as she hurried past him.  
  
"Ya, well I got to go to town and get some groceries." She said, and practically ran into her room.  
  
She took off her clothes and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water slide down her body, and over the cut Shooter had made yesterday. She carefully peeled the crusted blood off the wound and winced from the pain.  
  
When she was done, she walked into her room naked, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. She quickly pulled on her black jeans and a tight red shirt t- shirt that accented it. She then put on her black Happy Bunny hoodie that read, 'Not listening' and slipped on her red vans shoes, and headed out the door. She made it to the front door, but was stopped by Mort.  
  
"How long are you going to be gone?" He asked.  
  
"Not very," She answered and smiled, "I'll be back early enough to finish my cleaning." She was out the door before Mort could answer.  
  
She bought the groceries needed like she had promised Mort, but before she went home; she had one stop to make. She parked in the parking lot and casually strolled into the gun shop, trying not to be noticed. She was used to being stared at, but people would really begin to worry if they caught her in here. She pretended to look around until she was sure the little shop was empty of any other customers. She then walked up to the counter and rang the small bell to get someone's attention.  
  
"Can I help you?" Asked the tall, blonde man who appeared out of nowhere behind the counter. He looked about nineteen years old, and Celina couldn't' help but notice he was really cute, not hot, but cute.  
  
"Um, yes, I'm looking for a reliable hand gun." She said looking straight into his icy blue eyes.  
  
"Did you have a certain one in mind?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, no, but I'll just take that one." She said, pointing to a small pistol behind the glass.  
  
He turned leaned in to see which one it was and smiled, showing off his pearly white teeth, "Sure, can I see your license?"  
  
Celina pulled it out and showed it to him. She had always had a license to carry a gun, but she'd never needed to.  
  
"Alright, please wait a minute." He said and turned around and went through a small door that read, 'employees only'. He returned what seemed like hours later, carrying a box, which she assumed was the gun she'd pointed out.  
  
"That'll be $63.50, please." He said, once again showing off his beautiful smile.  
  
She quickly handed him the money, took the box and walked out. It wasn't like she didn't trust that Mort had a plan, she just wanted a back-up plan. She slipped in her car and began the long, lonely ride back to Mort's cabin.  
  
Mort's P.O.V  
  
Mort had noticed that Celina had been acting a little strange, but he'd just shaken the thought out of his mind. He waited upstairs for Shooter to call. He was sure Shooter would call. That was Shooter's style. He would call...  
  
'And if he doesn't?' asked the oh-so-familiar voice in his head.  
  
"Oh, he'll call." Mort said aloud to himself, sarcastically.  
  
He waited for another hour and had begun to doubt his perspective of the situation, when the phone rang. He nearly jumped out of his chair as the ring echoed in the empty house. He grabbed the receiver with such anticipation that the entire phone almost fell off the table.  
  
"Hello?" He asked.  
  
It seemed to take hours before a huge disappointment was laid upon him, "Hello, Mr. Rainey?" it was the sheriff. "You okay? You sound excited."  
  
"I'm fine," Mort insisted, "what's wrong?"  
  
"I'm sorry to bother you, but when we met the other day; we skipped some of the questions I had to ask you. Could you run by my office as soon as you can?"  
  
"Sure." Mort said, disappointed, and hung up.  
  
He couldn't handle being in the house any longer, so he ran down the stairs, and scribbled a little note to Celina and ran out into the cold, sunny afternoon, and took off in his car.  
  
Celina's P.O.V  
  
Celina pulled in the driveway and noticed Mort wasn't home, "Shit." She said aloud. She hadn't wanted to explain the fact to Mort that she'd bought a gun but she also didn't want to be alone.  
  
She slowly walked into the empty house, looking over her shoulder every so often. She checked every room in the house, and finally found a little note scrawled on the kitchen counter. It read:  
  
"Celina- went to sheriffs to answer questions. Be back later." Love Mort  
  
"Shit." She said again. She had no idea of when "later" was. She took one last look behind her shoulder and walked back into the living room to lock the front door. It was wide open. She rushed over to it and shut it, and her stomach dropped. She hadn't left it open. She glanced around the room. She heard something move upstairs. And she had left the gun in the car, and her keys upstairs during her search.  
  
'You should just run out to the car, hot wire it, and go back to town.' Her common sense told her. But her more ignorant side took over, 'Come, on. Did you hear anyone come in?' the other part of her asked.  
  
She decided to go with her ignorance and trudged up the stairs, each creak seeming louder than the last. She made her way up to Mort's office area. Seeing nothing, she grabbed her keys, glanced in the bedroom. It and the bathroom were empty. Sighing with relief, she walked back down into the living room. When she looked at the front door, her heart almost stopped. It was wide open again. Her breath became slow and shaky as she looked around.  
  
'Whoever it was is gone now.' She thought, hoping she was right.  
  
She decided to go for it. She sprinted out the door and made her way past the porch into the driveway. Then she saw, leaning on the front of her car, was John Shooter, a shovel lazily grasped in his left hand. She screamed, but it was too late. He took two long strides toward her, and before she could react, he swung the shovel, hitting her squarely in the side of the head. She crumpled to the ground, and saw him kneel down next to her before darkness swallowed her.  
  
A/N: Well, what'd ya think? I'm going for about three or four more chapters, just to let you know. So keep reviewing! Thanks! 


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Heya! Thanks for all the review, I owe ya one!  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Mort returned home a little later than he'd told Celina, and when he'd left he hadn't been thinking about Shooter, so he was a little worried when he arrived. He ran inside and immediately noticed the door was open. He silently cursed and called for Celina.  
  
"Celina!" He yelled. There was no sign of a struggle so he checked out back. Celina was gone. He went back out front to wear her car was, and saw something he hadn't seen before. It was his shovel. It was lying on the ground in front of Celina's car. He bent down to get a closer look. There was a small spot of blood on it. Mort fell backwards and felt like throwing up. He knew; he could feel it all over him. She was dead. He knew it.  
  
Celina's P.O.V  
  
Celina awoke with a pain in her head. Her vision was blurry, so she blinked a few times to get a better look of where she was. It was a small, dimly lit room, with a small staircase in the corner going up. She lay on a small, musty mattress that smelled old. She tried to sit up but the pain in her head grew much more intense and she groaned with pain as she got up. She cracked her neck and looked a little closer at her surroundings. Besides the bed, the room was empty, and noticing a small window on the other side of the room she walked slowly over to it, ignoring the knot in her neck. She opened the drapes and the room flooded with a golden hue. She adjusted her eyes to the light and looked out. Her breath became quicker and more nervous. There was absolutely nothing, with the exception of a few hundred trees that surrounded the small building. She looked as far as she could, but her vision was cut short by more trees. She tried to open the window, but it wouldn't budge, and she didn't have the strength to try and break it. She took deep breaths, trying to calm down. She ran to the staircase and looked up. She saw and heard nothing. The door at the top was closed and she quietly tried to open it, but it was locked.  
  
"Shit," she whispered, and pressed her ear to the door, but heard nothing. She walked back down to the mattress, and the sight of it made sleepiness wash over her. She laid down on it and fell asleep immediately.  
  
Mort's P.O.V  
  
After Mort had found the shovel, he stayed sitting on the gravel. He was no longer crying, but instead was deep in thought. He thought about how Shooter could be alive. How Celina could see him. He thought about this very hard, asking himself questions that he didn't have answers to.  
  
His mind was snapped out of his trance by a familiar, cool voice, "Well hello, Mr. Rainey." It was Shooter.  
  
Mort was suddenly flushed with anger, "What the fuck did you do to her?" Mort whispered.  
  
Shooter kneeled down to where Mort was, "I didn't hurt her. She was givin' me trouble; I had to get her under control." He said innocently.  
  
"Where is she?!" Mort was yelling at him now, angrier than ever.  
  
"Why, there's no need to yell, Mr. Rainey," Shooter said simply, "But if you must know, she's safe at my house."  
  
Mort stood up, as did Shooter, "Why did you take her?"  
  
"You wouldn't listen to me, and you obviously don't know what's good for yourself." Shooter answered.  
  
"How can she see you?" Mort asked.  
  
Shooter thought for a moment, but instead of answering, said, "The reason I didn't kill her was because I'm goin' to give you another chance."  
  
"Wow, how generous of you." Mort said sarcastically.  
  
Ignoring his comment, Shooter said, "I need your word by tomorrow that you'll get rid of her," he turned around and started to walk away, "Tomorrow at noon."  
  
Mort clenched his fists and knew he had to do something.  
  
Celina's P.O.V  
  
Celina awoke sharply by the sound of a slammed door upstairs. Suddenly, she remembered where she was, and sat up. She heard someone walking upstairs and toward the basement door. She quickly lay back down and pretended to be asleep as the door opened. She heard heavy footsteps walk slowly toward her bed. She opened her eyes a crack and saw a blurry figure of John Shooter. He stopped in front of her mattress and looked at her for a moment before setting something on the floor next to the bed. He took one last glance before leaving.  
  
She waited until the door was shut before getting up and peeking over the side of the bed. It was a small tray with broth and a glass of water. Seeing the broth made her realize how hungry she was. She grabbed the bowl and drank it in one gulp, not caring if it was poisoned or not. After finishing it and the water, she became very tired again. She fell asleep before she could think another thought.  
  
A/N: So, did you like it? I hope I got Shooter's character down, same with Mort's. But anyway, please review. 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: OMIGOD! I'm so sorry for the delay! My grandpa just died, and I had a bunch of school projects! I hope you guys still read my story!  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Mort slammed the door to his cabin and paced around his living room. He knew he had to do something, and fast. But the only problem was, he had no idea where to start looking for Shooter's house. He hadn't even known Shooter _had_ a house. And he still couldn't believe Celina could see Shooter.  
  
He stopped pacing and sat on the edge of the couch and looked outside. The sun was beginning to sink into the horizon. He had to do something tonight. He didn't want Celina out of his life. He knew he loved her. He put his head in his hands and thought. Then the idea struck him. Even though Shooter was _real_ didn't mean that he still didn't _come_ from Mort's mind in the first place. That meant Mort should know everything about him because he made him. So all he had to do was think really hard and then he would know. He closed his eyes and tried to visualize where Shooter lived. He saw an old cabin. It was small, but had a cellar. It was in the middle of no where. There were lots, and lots of trees, though. Then without warning, he knew exactly where to go, and how to get there.  
  
He jumped up from the couch and grabbed his black ski hat and ran out into the bitter April frost.  
  
Celina's P.O.V  
  
Celina awoke with a jump. She shivered, and sat up. She cleared her vision and stood up. She walked over to the window and looked out. She literally couldn't see anything. It was pitch black, with the exception of the moon's bluish glow that fell across the trees. She quietly walked up the stairs, and put her head to the door and listened. Silence. Her heart pounding violently, she squeezed the knob and twisted it. It was locked. She cursed silently under her breath, and walked back down the stairs. She searched the entire room for a key or any way out, but her search was useless. She sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands. She closed her eyes and sighed, forcing herself not to cry. Then she got an idea. She highly doubted it would work, but it was worth a try. She reached up to her hair, and pulled it out of the bun that held it in place, and out fell several bobby pins. She quietly made her way up the stairs and put one of the pins in the lock and twisted it around. It didn't work. She took it back out and bent it back, forcing into a key form. She put it back in the lock and turned it back and forth. She heard a click. Smiling, she took it out and threw it aside. She wrapped her fingers around the knob and tuned it. The door swung open and she was suddenly standing in a hallway.  
  
She tiptoed threw the hallway listening intently for any signs of life. At the end of the hall she turned to the right into what looked like the living room. And on the other side was the front door. She smiled and ran excitedly toward it. She twisted the knob and was disappointed, but not surprised to find it jammed also.  
  
"Are any of the doors in this house NOT jammed!" she hissed quietly to herself. She looked around for a window, but the only two in the room were nailed shut. She cursed and explored the other parts of the house. All of the windows were nailed shut.  
  
It's a good thing that I'm not claustrophobic, or this would be really bad." She said sarcastically to herself as she made her way to the last room at the end of the hallway. It was already ajar, so she quietly slipped in and nearly tripped headfirst into a small bed next to the door. She held her breath as she stared disbelievingly down at the figure that lay on the bed. It was John Shooter.  
  
He looked dead. Celina bent over him and tried to get a look at his chest to see if he was breathing. She was disappointed to see his chest slowly rise and fall with each intake of breath. She shifted her gaze to his eyes which were lazily shut. Celina stood up and silently walked around to the other side of the bed.  
  
She spotted a window on the other side of the bedroom that didn't look like it had any nails in it. She excitedly walked over to it, but stopped dead in her tracks when she heard Shooter shift around on the bed behind her. She craned her neck around to get a glimpse of him, and was glad to see that he was now facing the other direction.  
  
She finally made it to the window and unlocked it, and was right in the middle of opening it when a hand came from behind her and shut the window, and a southern drawl came from behind that said, in an irritated manner that sent a chill up Celina's back, "You ain't goin' anywhere, missy."  
  
A/N: I hope you still want me to keep going even though I made you wait so long! It's almost over, though, so please review if you want to hear the rest of the story! 


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thank you all so much for still reading my story even though I didn't update it for so long! Well, there are only a couple chapters left, so enjoy!  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Mort speeded through the forest in his new jeep, barely missing the thick trees that towered around him. He was in a kind of trance, he had no idea of where he was going, but he could sense where Shooter was. And something told him Celina was in danger.  
  
Through the thick trees, and darkness, he could barely make out what looked like a cabin up ahead. He pressed his foot down harder on the pedal.  
  
Celina's P.O.V  
  
The blood drained from Celina's face as she looked up at Shooter, who had magically woken from his nap. She froze for a few moments before regaining control and letting out a ear piercing scream that broke the silence of night.  
  
Shooter made a grab for Celina, but she ducked and whirled around and sprinted out the door. She could hear his thundering footsteps behind her and she suddenly realized that she had no where to go. She stopped in the hallway for a few moments before making up her mind to go in the living room. She jumped behind the couch picked up a near by lamp. She turned around just in time to see Shooter run into the room with a knife in hand. She screamed again and threw the lamp as hard as she could at him. She missed. It zoomed past his head and crashed against the wall behind him. He stood still for a moment, stunned, but quickly recovered, and continued toward her.  
  
Celina looked desperately around and decided on a small porcelain statue behind her. She grabbed it, and made faked a throw at Shooter. It worked. Shooter ducked down, but by the time he realized she hadn't thrown it, it was too late. She threw it again, this time for real, and he was still caught off guard so she was able to hit him squarely on the shoulder. He cried out in pain as it shattered and cut his arm. He looked up at her with pure fury in his eyes and lunged at her, but just then something crashed through the wall from outside. It was Mort's car! Shooter cried out in surprise as the car barely missed him. Mort jumped out and studied the scene, then motioned for Celina to get in the car.  
  
"Hurry up!" He told her as she jumped in and rolled into the passenger side.  
  
Mort got in behind her and slammed the door in time to see Shooter recover from the shock, and hurry toward them. Mort Put the car in gear and in reverse and slammed on the gas pedal and took off.  
  
As he tried to follow the path he's made while getting there, he glanced in the rear view mirror and saw Shooter pull out of his driveway in his old station wagon and turn around to follow. Mort tried to concentrate on finding his way back to the road, but found him looking back at Shooter every few minutes. They finally made it back to Mort's cabin quite a ways ahead of Shooter. Mort ran out of the car and to the other side where Celina was getting out.  
  
"Go in the house and lock the door." He told her, and when she didn't respond he added, "And stay there. Go!"  
  
She hesitated a moment more before sprinting onto the deck, and slammed the door shut. When Mort heard a dull click that showed she had locked the door, he turned to look at Shooter who skidded into the driveway. He waited until he heard the engine die down before he grabbed the shovel leaning in the fence. He ran to the side of the car door and took Shooter by surprise as he was getting out and slammed the shovel into his forehead.  
  
Shooter fell backwards onto the side of the car, but quickly regained his awareness and grabbed the shovel from Mort's hands as he was going for another swing. Shooter swung Mort around and slammed him into the car. Mort's hands slipped from the shovel, and he slid to the ground in a daze. He tried to focus and saw Shooter swing the shovel from the side, and so Mort rolled past him just as the shovel swung past his head.  
  
Mort crawled back up on his feet to take another blow from Shooter. He fell to his knees, but quickly got up in time to see Shooter smile and hit him again. This time Mort managed to stay on his feet, but before anyone could make another move Mort heard a voice that seemed miles away.  
  
"Get out of the way Mort!" It was Celina. He turned to look at her and was awed to see her pointing a gun straight at Shooter. Mort did as he was told and ducked out of the way as he heard the gun shot ring in the nearby trees. The noise seemed to disappear as quickly as it had come. The woods fell silent, with the exception of a small thud that Mort felt vibrate through the ground. He looked up, and saw through blurred red vision, the figure of Shooter fall to the ground.  
  
A/N: I can't believe I've only got one chapter to go! Thank you all soooooo much! You guys rule! I'll update as soon as I can! 


	11. Chapter 11

A.N: I'm so sorry you guys! I haven't updated in forever! I'm sorry. Well, to make up for it is the final chapter to The Nightmare Reopened...  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Mort must have passed out, because he awoke in his living room on his favorite couch with a throbbing headache.  
  
Suddenly remembering what had happened, he jumped, "Celina!"  
  
"Calm down, Mort." Came Celina's soothing voice, as she touched him softly on the shoulder.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Shooter's dead." Was all she said.  
  
"You shot him?" He said as the memory came back to him.  
  
A look of relief washed over his face as she nodded. He stood up shakily and inspected the bandaged wounds on his head.  
  
"Where's the body?" He asked.  
  
A worried expression came over her, "It's still out there."  
  
He smiled, "It's all over."  
  
She hugged him tightly, "Finally." She looked up at him, and leaned up and kissed him softly on the cheek.  
  
He smiled back at her as he walked out the door and grabbed the shovel that lay on the ground next to his car. He heard Celina close behind him. He looked up into the sky and saw three birds flutter across the sky, a sign of peace. And he walked around the car to where Shooter should have been, but instead there was only a small pool of dark blood and Shooter's black hat.  
  
Mort froze in place when his mind took in the scene. He felt Celina run into him from behind, but didn't budge.  
  
"What's wrong?" Celina wanted to know, worried by the shocked look on Mort's face. Her eyes followed Mort's gaze to the ground before them where only a hat was where Shooter should have been, "Oh my God." She whispered.  
  
Hearing Celina's voice seemed to break Mort's trance and he looked at her, "No," he said quietly, "no, but you killed him!"  
  
Celina walked over to the hat and then looked out into the forest beyond. She could feel tears that pricked out of the corners of her eyes as she lifted up the hat to get a closer look. But as she did that, a small piece of paper floated out of the hat. Mort came up behind her and picked up the paper and on it was a note,  
  
_Dear Mr. Rainey, I realize things got out of hand, so I would like to send my apologies to you and the young miss. They say a near death experience cleanses the soul, and I would like to thank Celina for cleansing mine. I've decided to go back to good ol' Mississippi and continue my dairy farm I have down there.  
Yours truly,  
John Shooter  
_  
Mort read the note aloud to Celina. When he was done he looked up at Celina and smiled, "It _is_ over."  
  
Celina smiled back, "Thank God."  
  
Mort leaned in until he could feel the heat of Celina's breath, and they shared a victory kiss, finally together.  
  
A.N: What did you think of my story? I hope you liked it! I would like to thank all my reviewers and I wish good luck to all of you! I hope you all have a freakin' awesome summer! 


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